Multimedia programs are often stored on media, such as compact disc (CD), for running in a computer or other apparatus with a drive. Typically, the disc can be loaded into a drive and read by a reader inside the drive through a tray. The tray is triggered when a disc is sufficiently inserted and it moves backwards and forwards to eject and retract the disc. Usually there are internal mechanisms to control the movement of the tray, such as those disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,278 and US patent application 20060026611A1. However, all the related art references work in the same way: the user must locate the target disc and insert it into the drive. Then the drive can read and for write onto the disc or run the program. If the user has a large number of discs, it will be time consuming and bothersome to pick up the target disc and run it. Alternate approaches include the application of roller technology into the drive mechanism. However, rubber rollers which grasp the disc will be easily worn out and as such are inappropriate for applications beyond occasional consumer use.
There were also many technical solutions in the related art to handle this problem. US patent application 2005/0024996A1 provides circular support platters to hold discs and an external pick device with arm to efficiently pick the target disc from a large number of discs. U.S. Pat. No. 7,254,818 also provides a self aligning disc tray drive in which robot arm is used to pick a disc from a stack to move it into a tray assembly. The reference also discloses the use of a disc tray which also has a finished disc storage bin.
In all of the above applications, however, the disclosed mechanisms do not have good adaptability and have complex structures which can be more prone to mechanical failure over time.